The Jammu Kashmir High Court on Tuesday asked both the Central government and the Reserve Bank of India to consider incorporation of Dogri language on the langue panel of currency notes and Indian postal orders, if possible.

Of the 22 scheduled languages incorporated in 8th Schedule of the Indian Constitution, fifteen regional languages apart from Hindi and English find mention on currency notes and Indian Postal Orders. Dogri, which was incorporated in the 8th Schedule in 2003, does not find place on them.

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Pointing out that India is a multi linguistic country with Constitution guaranteeing conservation of language, script or culture by any section of citizens residing in any part of the country, the bench observed that each linguistic group has a guaranteed right to propagate and promote its language and share its rich literature with other countrymen.

“Therein lies the beauty of India as a notable example of unity in diversity,” it observed, adding that with its incorporation in 8th Schedule of the Constitution of India along with 21 other languages, Dogri aspires for its inclusion in the language panel of currency notes issued by the Reserve Bank of India. It also craves for finding a place on the language panel of Indian Postal Orders.

The bench did not approve of the argument that exclusion of Dogri from the language panel of current notes and Indian Postal Orders smacks of a discriminatory attitude towards it, saying that it appears that the inclusion of scheduled languages on the language panel of Bank currency notes and Indian Postal Orders is intended to display its face value and not to promote such languages.

With rapid increase in literacy rate, display of the face value on a legal tender or Indian postal order in the scheduled/regional languages would not be of much significance as induction of national language viz Hindi and English as the langua- franca are serving the purpose of rendering the holder of such legal tender or Indian postal orders capable of ascertaining its value, the bench observed, adding that the panel of languages would be ever increasing on account of inclusion of more languages in 8th Schedule and it may not be possible to further accommodate them due lack of space on the standard bank notes and Indian postal orders. “Thus, this Court is constrained to reject the plea of the petitioner in so far as giving a positive direction is concerned,’’ it held.